Test One Study Guide: Water, Macromolecules, and Enzymes

Vocabulary flashcards covering core terms and key concepts from the Water, Macromolecules, and Enzymes study guide.

Cohesion

A property of water involving attraction between water molecules, which works alongside adhesion to allow movement up narrow tubes.

Adhesion

A property of water involving attraction to other surfaces, which assists cohesion in moving water up narrow tubes in plants.

Capillary Action

The process by which water molecules move up a narrow tube through cohesive and adhesive interactions.

Surface Tension

A property of water resulting from cohesive forces between water molecules.

Specific Heat

A property of water measuring its resistance to temperature change, which is notably high in water.

Universal Solvent

A designation given to water due to its ability to dissolve a wide range of substances.

Saturated Fats

A class of lipids that are solid at room temperature and structurally distinct from unsaturated fats.

Unsaturated Fats

A class of lipids that differ in structure and state at room temperature from saturated fats.

Amino Acid Structure

The structural building block of proteins, consisting of an amine group, an R group, and a carboxyl group.

Substrate

The specific target molecule upon which an enzyme acts.

Active Site

The specific region on an enzyme where substrates bind during a reaction.

Allosteric Site

A distinct binding site on an enzyme separate from the active site.

Competitive Inhibition

A type of enzyme inhibition where an inhibitor directly competes with the substrate.

Non-Competitive Inhibition

A type of enzyme inhibition where an inhibitor binds outside the active site, exemplified by isoleucine.

Nucleic Acids

A class of macromolecules identifiable by their phosphate group(s) and specific monomer units.

Macromolecule Synthesis Reaction

The type of chemical reaction responsible for forming macromolecules from monomer subunits.

Macromolecule Breakdown Reaction

The type of chemical reaction responsible for breaking down complex macromolecules into smaller components.